


LONG DISTANCE LOVE PT IV

by LilRamona



Category: Drama - Fandom, Love - Fandom, Ramones, Real Person Fiction, fluff - Fandom, long distance - Fandom, punk rock - Fandom, touring - Fandom
Genre: Drama, F/M, Fluff, Love, real person fiction - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-27
Updated: 2016-10-27
Packaged: 2018-08-27 09:58:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8397190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilRamona/pseuds/LilRamona
Summary: In this story, Joey goes on tour to Italy and you are left alone in Chicago to get ready for your move to NYC. You feel all kinds of emotions while Joey is away on tour. You can't wait to move to NYC to be with him.This is the final story in the Long Distance Love series. I will continue the series, but they will be titled something else. If you by chance, like this story (or any stories of mine), PLEASE leave kudos :)





	

Joey walks offstage. He quickly wipes his face with the white towel provided by management and throws it on the floor. He is not in the mood to chit chat with anyone, all he wants to do is go back to the hotel and be alone.  
The Ramones are currently in Rome, Italy. They are going to be in Italy for almost a month, playing shows throughout the country.  
Monte, the Ramones tour manager, approaches Joey and says, “Hey man, ya wanna go with us to eat?”  
Joey shakes his head and says, “Neh. I’m tired and just wanna go back to the hotel.”  
Monte smirks, “Tired my ass. You just wanna go call your girl.”  
Joey angrily says, “So what? That’s my fuckin’ business, ya know?”  
Monte throws his hands up and says, “Okay, okay! Goddamn it, Joey. You’ve been extra sensitive lately.”  
Joey flips his hair and says, “I’m outta here.”  
Monte says, “I’ll call ya later then.”  
Joey ignores him and tries to find his way out of the venue. Security escorts him out and into a van. Joey leans his head back on the seat and closes his eyes. He is exhausted. He hasn’t been getting much sleep, plus he hasn’t been in a good mood, ever since the band arrived in Italy.  
He misses his girlfriend and is miserable without her. He can’t wait to get back to the hotel to call her and tell her how much he needs her in his life. It has been a week since he has last seen his love.

The Ramones, minus Joey, are seated around the table eating their food. They ordered pasta dishes and there is a big basket of bread in the middle of the table. Arturo, the band’s graphic and logo designer was also there, along with Monte. Although Dee Dee’s wife, Vera and Johnny’s girlfriend Linda, were also on the tour with the boys, they didn’t want to come to dinner. They opted to go back to the hotel , order room service and have a dip in their pool, before bedtime.  
Dee Dee says, “Where the hell’s Joey at?”  
Monte puts down his drink and says, “He headed back to the hotel. He said he was tired.”  
Johnny smirks and says, “Bullshit! He’s been a dick ever since we got here.”  
Monte says, “Well I’m sure he misses his girl. You know how attached Joey gets.”  
Dee Dee says, “Wasn’t he just with her 2 weeks ago? And the week before?”  
Monte says, “Well, you and Johnny have your girls with you all the time, so you guys can’t really talk.”  
Johnny says, “Just cause he misses his chick doesn’t mean he needs to be an asshole to everyone. I’ll kick his ass if I hafta.”  
Dee Dee says, “I gotta say, Joey’s a lucky man, scorin’ himself a hot, young chick like that.”  
Johnny wipes his mouth with a napkin and says, “She’s pretty but she’s TOO young. She’s a goddamn teenager, for fuck’s sake!”  
Marky pipes up and says, “She’s 19 and that’s LEGAL .I’d do her.”  
Monte shakes his head and says, “What the fuck’s wrong with you?”  
Marky says, “What? I’m just sayin’ it like it is, ya know? You know you’d be up for it too, Mont. You too, Johnny. Sorry, but she looks better than your chick does! You know damn well I’m right.”  
Johnny shoots Marky a glare but doesn’t disagree with him.  
Dee Dee laughs and says, “If Joey were here, he’d kill us all for talkin’ like this about his girl.”  
Monte says, “Oh yeah, you can bet on that!”

Joey opens his hotel room door and slams it shut. He locks the door and heads over to the desk with a yellow phone sitting on top of it.  
He has become an expert at long distance calling since he’s been touring with the Ramones.  
Joey punches in all the codes he needs and dials his girlfriend’s number. He glances at the clock radio on the nightstand and it reads 10:00pm.  
The phone on the other end of the line rings and rings, but there is no answer. Joey’s heart pounds heavily, with anticipation and worry.  
Where is she? It’s ten at night, he wonders to himself.  
The answering machine comes on and he leaves a message.  
“Hey baby, where are ya, huh? I’m worried. I’ll call back later.”  
He hangs the phone up and lays back on the bed. He throws his arms above his head and closes his eyes.  
He thinks about the last time he was with his girl in Chicago and how she blew him a kiss , before he boarded his flight. She stood there, looking so sweet and pretty. He couldn’t get her image out of his head.  
Joey dozes off.  
An hour later, he is awakened by the phone.  
He sits up and answers it. He glances at the clock radio and it reads 11:30pm.  
Joey answers, “Hello?”  
“Hey! Just checkin’ on ya, buddy.” It was Monte.  
Monte had been the band’s tour manager since their early days. He has been with the band through good times and bad. Sometimes he felt like the babysitter/referee of the band. The boys got on his nerves, but he also loved them like brothers.  
Joey says, “I’m okay, Mont. Just woke up from a nap, actually.”  
Monte says, “We missed ya at dinner, ya know. Hope everything is okay.”  
Joey coughs and says, “I tried callin’ my girlfriend earlier and she didn’t answer, so, uh, I’m gonna try her again after I hang up with you. Once I know she’s alright, I’ll be alright…ya know?”  
Monte says, “That’s why I love ya, man. You’re a Ramone, but you don’t act like a Ramone.”  
Joey snickers and says, “Hey, I’ll see ya tomorrow, okay?”  
Monte says, “Bright and early.” 

You had just gotten in from having dinner and drinks with Roxy. She had talked you into going to the steakhouse and then to a local bar for some margaritas.  
You made sure to be home by 11:30pm because you know Joey usually calls around that time.  
As you set your purse down, you notice your answering machine blinking. You press “PLAY” and listen to the message. You hear the message Joey left you earlier. You detect sadness in his voice and it breaks your heart. You wonder why he called so early. He usually did not call until after 11:00pm.  
You hardly went out but today you felt like you needed companionship. You have been feeling very lonely lately and you were starting to think that Joey was right about going on tour with him. How you missed him so.  
You walk into the kitchen and make yourself a cup of coffee. You want to stay up a bit longer in case Joey calls back.  
Just then, the phone rings.  
You rush to grab it and you spit out, “Hello?”  
You hear Joey on the other end of the line. “Hi babe...where were you? I was worried about ya.” He sounded so far away, as the  
connection wasn’t a clear one. You can hear crackling.

Just hearing his voice made you want to bawl. You take a deep breath and fight back tears.

“Hey baby, are ya there?” asks Joey.

“Yes, my love, I’m here. I miss you so much, Joey.”

Joey says, “I miss you too. I wish you were here. I, uh, called earlier but you weren’t home.”

You say, “Roxy and I went out to dinner and then for drinks. You usually don’t call until after 11, so I didn’t think you’d call.”

Joey says, “Uh yeah, I know. The Rome show finished early and I couldn’t wait to hear your voice.”

You play with the phone cord and say, “So how is Italy? Are you doing okay, babe?”

Joey sighs and says, “No cause you ain’t here, ya know? I just feel alone. Johnny and Dee Dee have their girls here and I...I just  
wish you were here.”

You say, “I wish that, too. I want you to know that you’re always on my mind, Joey. I feel incomplete without you.”

Joey says, “Hey that’s exactly how I feel, too. We still have 2 more weeks here. I dunno how I’ll survive.”

You say, “You’ll survive just fine, babe. Just keep calling me every day and we’ll get through it. I, uh, I was thinking maybe I  
should have gone with you, after all. I’m sorry Joey, for putting my job before our relationship. That was selfish of me.”

Joey sighs and says, “You don’t know how happy that makes me feel. Does that mean you’ll tour with me next time?”

You shed a tear and say, “Of course I will, babe. Anything for you.”

Joey says, “I can fly you out to Italy if you want, baby. It’d be no problem.” More crackling on the line.

You say, “Oh Joey, I don’t want you to have to spend money on getting me out there. Just do your two weeks there and after  
that, we’ll be inseparable, okay?”

Joey says, “Ya promise?”

You say, “I promise, babe. I don’t want to be alone anymore. I hate being without you. I want to move to New York as soon as  
possible and be with you.”

Joey says, “Oh yeah? Wow, that’s great! That’s the best news ever! So uh, you better start packin’ then. Once this tour is over,  
I’m headed over there and bringing you home with me. Ya got it?”

You laugh softly and say, “That’s just fine with me. I’ve never felt more ready in my life.”

Joey says, “I love you so.”

You smile and say, “I love you more.”

That night as Joey lays in bed with the covers around him, he smiles at the thought of his girl moving in with him and Paul, his  
cat. He has wanted it for awhile and it’ll finally become a reality once the Italian tour is over.

 

The next day the band is off to Florence. They have 2 shows there this week.

The bus they ride is a long, silver one. The seats are burgundy and comfortable.

Johnny sits next to Linda in the front. Dee Dee and Vera sit in the middle, Marky sits in the back next to Joey. Marky’s girlfriend  
Marion, did not come along on the tour because she was taking care of her sick mother. Marky didn’t really care. He and  
Marion were always fighting and he thinks time apart is the best thing for now.

Joey pulls the blanket over him and closes his eyes to try to nap.

 

You seal the box with tape. You take a black marker and scribble “Shoes” on it. You push the box aside and take a deep breath.  
You’ve been packing for an hour now. You had packed 5 boxes. You didn’t have much to pack, as you weren’t going to take  
everything. Only the essential things were going with you to NYC.

You had contacted the management office about moving out and they said it would be no problem as long as you clean the  
apartment before you leave. Whatever you don’t take, you’ll donate to the Salvation Army.

Your boss was not happy about you giving your 2 week notice at work but you don’t give a shit. This time you were putting  
your relationship with Joey before anything and everyone. You miss him more than you thought you would and can’t wait to be  
in his arms again.

Roxy is upset that you were moving away, but at the same time, she is happy for you. She knows that Joey is the one for  
you and she really likes him. You told her she can go visit anytime and wouldn’t have to stay at a hotel. She has never been to New York and you think she’d love it.

 

The bus arrives in Florence late in the afternoon and parks in front of a restaurant called Café Rosano. 

Johnny whines, “Can’t we just go to McDonald’s? I just want a goddamn hamburger and fries.”

Monte says, “No, I don’t have time to go searching all over Florence, for a McDonald’s. We’ll have to eat here.”

Johnny says, “I’m so sick of Italian food.”

Joey snaps at Johnny, “ And I’m sick of you bitchin’”.

Johnny shoots Joey a deadly look and says, “Says the guy who has had an attitude problem since the start of this tour.”

Arturo speaks up and says, “Okay boys, settle down.”

Arturo was around the boys long enough to know that they acted up at times and he got sick of it, just like Monte did.

When they take their places at the restaurant, Joey makes sure to sit next to Arturo and Monte. Johnny, of course, sits next to Linda, Dee Dee next to Vera. Marky sits next to Vera.

The waitress who is a young girl with long black hair and big brown eyes, comes to take everyone’s order.

“Ciao, I’m Rosalina. Can I take your orders, please?”

Once the ordering is done, Rosalina collects all the menus.

Monte looks at Joey and says, “So, I take it you got a hold of your girl yesterday?”

Joey says, “Yeah, everything’s fine.” He didn’t really want to talk about his relationship in front of everyone.

Linda, who is Joey’s ex-girlfriend, speaks up. 

“Trouble in paradise?” she asks.

Joey shoots her a cold glare and says, “Neh. The opposite, actually. She’s coming to live with me in New York after this tour.”

He didn’t want to get into that discussion, but since Linda asked, he is going to throw it in her face. Linda and Joey dated for almost 3 years until she cheated on him with Johnny. He hates Linda and Johnny for what they did to him. Joey avoids Linda completely when she tours with the band. Johnny doesn’t allow her to be near Joey, anyway. It was a big fiasco that cost them their friendship.

Linda looks surprised and she exclaims, “Wow, that didn’t take long!”

Joey snarls, “Mind your business, huh?”

Johnny actually agrees with Joey on this. He turns to Linda and says, “Yeah, don’t worry about what Joey does.”  
It’s not that Johnny WANTED to side with Joey, but it irked him that Linda was all up in Joey’s business like that. She doesn’t need to be concerned about anything he does.

Linda looks defeated and decides to keep quiet.

Arturo says, “Well brother, I’m happy for you. You deserve a nice girl like her.” 

Joey says, “Thanks man, she’s the best. “ Joey made sure he said that last part loud enough for Linda to hear. He really was over her, but he liked giving her a hard time whenever possible.

Rosalina comes over with the food and she distributes accordingly.

Joey’s plate of Pasta Fagioli looks inviting. He is actually hungry today. He has been in a better mood since he spoke to his girl last night. He can’t wait to call her later, once they get to Florence and check into their hotel rooms.

 

It is 7:10 pm and you are exhausted from packing all day. You have 10 boxes in front of you, all packed and sealed.  
You had called a shipping service that Joey recommended to come out and pick them up, so they can ship them to New York. They said they’d be there at 7:00pm and you are still waiting for them to show up.

You sigh and turn on the TV set. 

Just then, the doorbell rings.

You go to the intercom and ask who it is.  
“All Star Moving and Packing,” replies the masculine voice.

You press the button to let them in.

It’s about time, you think to yourself. The clock reads 7:12pm.

Shortly after, there is a knock on your door. You let the man inside. He has a cart with him.

He is tall and built, longish brown hair, mid-20’s. He is wearing a blue and white baseball cap that says “ALL STAR” on the front.

He says, “Hi, I see you’ve got 10 boxes for me.” He glances over at the boxes and nods.

You walk over to the boxes and say, “Yeah, are you the only one doing the job? Isn’t that too much for one person?”

He says, “I can handle it.” You see him looking at you, up and down. It makes you uncomfortable, so you cross your arms and turn away.

He says, “Well, I’ll get started.” He picks up a box and loads it on the cart. 

“By the way, my name is Nick,” he says.

You tell him your name and he says, “Pretty name. I used to know someone with the same name.”

You don’t care about making chit chat, so you ignore his comment. 

Nick loads 3 boxes onto the cart and says, “I’ll be back.”

You say, “Can’t you load more on there?” 

Nick gives you a crooked smile and says, “Not really. If I load too many, they’ll fall off. This cart can only handle so many boxes, ya know?”

When Nick said, ‘ya know’, it reminded you of Joey. He always says that. You smile a sweet smile at the thought of Joey.

Nick catches the smile and says, “I finally get a smile out of you.”

You shrug and say, “You just reminded me of my boyfriend. He always says, ‘ya know’.”

Nick says, “Should have known you have a boyfriend...the pretty ones always do.”

You say, “I’m moving to New York City to be with him.”

Nick says, “He’s a lucky guy.” He walks out of the apartment with the cart and heads downstairs.

You walk over to the kitchen and get yourself a cup of coffee. You wonder if you should offer Nick a cup. You don’t want to get too friendly with him, but you don’t want to be rude, either.

After 10 minutes, he emerges.

He lets out a deep breath and says, “Only 3 more loads to go.”

You say, “Hey, do you want a cup of coffee?”

Nick says, “Uh, sure. If it’s not too much trouble.”

You say, “No trouble at all.” You walk into the kitchen and he follows behind you.

He looks around and notices the photos on your refrigerator. 

He takes a closer look and says, “Wait, is that Joey Ramone? HE’S your boyfriend?”

You pour his coffee in a cup and say, “Yeah, sure is.”

Nick looks over at you and says, “Aren’t you a little too young for him?”

You don’t like his comment. AT ALL.

You snap, “Not that it’s any of YOUR business, but age doesn’t matter to us. Sugar or cream?”

Nick says, “Black. Sorry, you’re right. Sometimes I speak without thinking.”

You hand him the cup of coffee and say, “It’s alright. We’re used to it. Even his own bandmates can’t believe he’s dating someone so young.”

Nick takes a sip of coffee and says, “I love the Ramones. Great band. I saw them the last time they came to town.”

You say, “Cool. They are in Italy now, on tour.”

Nick says, “And you didn’t go with them?”

You say, “No. Joey invited me, but I had to work. I’ve since quit my job, of course.”

Nick says, “Well, you’ll be with him soon enough, huh?”

He finishes up his coffee and hands you the cup. 

“Thanks for the coffee. I’d better finish up the job.”

You take his cup and place it in the sink.

 

The Ramones are out shopping in Florence. They went separately. Joey was with Arturo, Monte, Vera and Dee Dee. Marky went with Johnny and Linda. 

While in a cute gift shop, Joey spots a silver bracelet with a heart charm attached to it. He thinks it’d be a perfect gift for his girl.

Monte notices and says, “A gift for your sweetheart?”

Joey nods and says, “Yeah, think she’d love this, ya know?”

Vera chimes in and says, “Oh yeah, she’ll loooooove it!” 

She looks at Dee Dee and says, “I want one too.”

Dee Dee sighs and says, “Why don’t ya pick a different one since Joey already got that one for his chick?”

Vera looks at the other bracelets and picks a similar one, with a star charm, instead of a heart.

Joey pays for the bracelet and the cashier puts in a burgundy box and adds a small bow to it, since Joey told him it was a gift for his girl.

When they are done with that shop, they head to another one.

They keep shopping around for awhile, as it is something to do, and a distraction.

They end up running into Marky, Johnny and Linda at a candy store. 

Johnny has a small brown bag in his hand. 

Monte says, “What’d you buy?”

Johnny says, “Just some chocolate.”

Linda says to Johnny, “I want some ice cream.”

Johnny says, “Alright, we’ll get some after here.”

Vera, who is already wearing her new bracelet, shows it proudly to Linda.

“Look what Dee Dee got me!”

Linda glances at it and says, “Wow, that’s pretty!”

Vera says, “Isn’t it, though? Joey got one for his girl too, except hers has a heart.”

Linda glances at Joey and spots the little bag he’s got in his left hand.

She says, “Oh, really.”

Joey is laughing at something with Arturo. 

Johnny grabs Linda’s arm and says, “C’mon, let’s go get your ice cream!”

 

As you are about to draw a bath, the phone rings. You know its Joey.

You rush to grab the phone.

“Hey beautiful”, he says, after you answer. This time he doesn’t sound so far away. The phone connection was better.

“Hi my love, how are you?” you ask.

Joey replies, “Same as always, missin’ ya.”

Joey says, “So what’d ya do today?”

You say, “I packed up ten boxes and had the moving guy come over to pick ‘em up and take ‘em away.”

Joey says, “Oh yeah? Only one guy did all that work?”

You say, “Yeah, Nick had to make a few trips.”

Joey says, “Nick? You’re on a first name basis with the guy?”

You can tell Joey is a tad jealous. You think it’s cute. You smile to yourself.

“He introduced himself to me, that’s why I know his name. Something wrong with that, babe?”

Joey sighs and says, “Neh. Not at all. I just miss ya, is all. I wish I coulda spent time with ya today like he did.”

You decide not to mention the cup of coffee you gave to Nick. 

You say, “Soon, babe. Now tell me what you did today.”

Joey tells you about his day and you listen to him as you sip on a glass of iced tea.

“We’re playin’ two shows back to back in Florence. Then we head to San Marino”, he says.

You say, “Sounds good. Are there a lot of Ramones fans over there?”

Joey says, “Yeah, we’ve had a pretty good response. Better than France, anyway. The food’s also better.” He chuckles.

You say, “That’s awesome babe. I’m glad it’s been good for you over there.”

Joey says, “Yeah…only thing missin’ is you. Can’t wait to hold you in my arms again.”

You say, “I can’t wait also.”

Joey continues, “I miss layin’ next to ya, miss your laugh, your touch, the way you play with my hair, even the way you sit on my belly and try to tickle me, even though I hate it.”

You laugh and say, “I didn’t know you hated that, babe.”

Joey says, “Well I don’t really HATE it but ya know, being tickled sucks. I miss ya bein’ on top of me, though.”

You warn, “Joey, don’t go there…”

Joey says, “I can’t help it….ya turn me on, ya know? And being sex deprived sucks.”

You say, “I know the feeling. But we can’t do anything about it right now.”

Joey says, “Uh, sure we can.”

You ask, “Are you talkin’ about phone sex?”

Joey says, “Yeah. Nothin’ wrong with that. We’re a couple, right?”

You’ve never had phone sex before and you weren’t even sure how to do it. You wonder if Joey was experienced at it.

“Joey, I wouldn’t know what to say.”

Joey chuckles and says, “I’ll help ya.”

You say, “Obviously you’re a pro at it.”

Joey says, “No I ain’t. Trust me, I’ve only done it once before.”

You feel a slight pang in your heart.

You smirk and say, “With Linda?”

Joey says, “NOOO. Not her. And it was a long time ago, babe. No need to get into that right now.”

You feel relieved that it wasn’t Linda he did it with. Even though you know Joey had been with a lot of women before you, Linda is the one you can’t handle imagining him with.

You feel weird about the whole thing, but you want to please Joey, so you go along with it. 

Joey starts with, “Imagine us lyin’ in bed together. I start givin’ ya small kisses on your neck…”

You feel your heart flutter and say, “You know those neck kisses turn me on.”  
Joey continues, “I work my way down your back with the kisses….”

Joey is working his magic and turning you on immensely, as you picture his soft lips on your back.

You say, “After your kisses on my back, I climb on you and place your hands on my boobs.”

You hear Joey make a soft blowing noise. He says, “This ain’t gonna take long.”

You and Joey continue to “dirty” talk to each other until both of you climax at the same time. 

You are amazed at how good you felt afterwards. Joey was right-phone sex is a wonderful thing when you can’t be together.

“That was amazing”, you say.

Joey says, “Yeah, fantastic!”

You say, “You’d better hang up now, babe. This phone call is gonna cost you a fortune.”

The phone call ran longer than his normal calls do and he has to pay for his own long distance calls.

Joey says, “I can afford it. But yeah, I’d better say goodbye now, baby. I’m gonna get some sleep since we’ve gotta long day tomorrow.”

You say, “Okay. I hope you have a good night.”

Joey says, “Hey, I love you.”

You say, “I love you more.”

 

One week later

The Ramones only have one week left in Italy. They are scheduled to play in Milan and Venice, then head back home to New York. 

Joey couldn’t wait to get out of Italy. He liked the country, but he missed home, his cat Paul, and obviously, his girlfriend.

It’s 7pm and the Ramones are supposed to be on stage by 8pm, there in Milan.

Joey is in the dressing room, standing in front of the mirror, brushing his hair.

Dee Dee walks in and places his bass on the floor, in its case.

He says, “Man, your hair is getting long.”

Joey says, “Yeah, I like it that way.”

Dee Dee says, “Vera makes me cut mine after it gets shoulder length.”

Joey shrugs and says, “I’m tryin’ to grow mine below my shoulders. Need a new look.”

Dee Dee says, “New chick, new look….” He picks up his bass and strums a few strings.

Joey smirks and says, “Yeah, why not.”

 

Monte and Arturo walk into the dressing room with the rest of the Ramones in tow.

He says, “So the venue is overcrowded. It’s crazy how many people showed up to this gig.”

Johnny says, “It’s crazy, but I love it!” He plops on the couch and Linda sits right next to him. She is always attached to him like leech. 

Joey takes a sip of water and says, “I’m excited.”

Marky chimes in and says, “Me too. We’ll rock the fuckin’ place off the map!”

Just then a group of 3 attractive Italian women walk into the dressing room.

Johnny looks at Joey, Joey looks at Marky, Marky looks at Monte. 

Monte says, “Can I help you?”

One of the girls, says, “Yes, we are here to satisfy the band.” She has long, black hair and big doe eyes.

Marky laughs out loud. 

Monte says, “What do you mean ‘satisfy the band’?

One of the other girls, a short girl, says, in a thick Italian accent, “You know, be of service to the band.”

Linda smirks, “I think you’ve got the wrong band!” She looks furious.

Vera, who was standing near Dee Dee, places her hands on her hips, pipes up and says, “Damn right!”

Joey looks unamused. He says, “Yeah, sorry, we don’t do that kinda shit.” He tosses his hair to one side 

The third girl speaks up. She walks up to Joey, puts her hand on his arm and says, “Are you sure? I can give you a night you’ll never forget, sexy.” She is an attractive, tall, willowy blonde with green eyes.

Joey pulls away from her and firmly says, “No way.”

Johnny stands up and retorts, “Get out! We’re a respectable band! Monte, get them outta here, for fuck’s sake!”

Monte escorts the girls out of the room and says, “You need to leave immediately. I don’t know who sent you back here, but the Ramones aren’t some trashy band that messes with whores, okay?”

The first girl who spoke says, “We didn’t know! We thought American bands like this sort of thing.”

Once the girls are out, Monte says, “I don’t know who sent them but I think it’s a normal thing here in Italy. A lot of bands request these kind of girls, apparently.”

Dee Dee says, “Well they do that back in America too but not US. The Ramones don’t fuck groupies.”

Monte says, “Alright, alright. You guys need to be onstage in ten minutes. Get yourselves ready.”

 

Ten minutes later, the Ramones walk onto the stage to perform their 2nd to their last show on this tour.  
The crowd roars while the stage lights light up in a frenzy. 

They start playing Blitzkrieg Bop and the whole venue goes bezerk.

 

You get up and close your living room window. It had started to thunder and rain, all of a sudden.  
You head back to the couch and continue watching your movie. You are watching the movie of the week- Grease.  
You had seen it countless of times, but it’s one of your favorite movies.

You wrap the blanket around you and get comfy on the couch. 

The storm outside gets more aggressive and the thunder is deafening. 

All of a sudden the lights go out. 

You sigh and say to yourself, “Oh shit!”

You get up in search of a candle, but can’t find any. You remembered you used up your last candle a few months ago.  
Your apartment is really dark, as it is evening.

You go back to the couch and lay there in total boredom. Without power, you can’t do anything.

You sigh and think about Joey. How you wish you were with him. You messed up by not going on tour with him and you remind yourself of it every single day. How could you have been so selfish to put your former job in front of your relationship?

Now you sit there without power, without anything to do, and without anyone to keep you company.

You feel sorry for yourself and the tears start falling. You just feel useless and so alone. You had never felt more alone in your life.

 

The Ramones walk off the stage a couple of hours later, all drenched in sweat. They had given it their ALL in Milan. 

“Hey Joey, ya sounded great!” says Marky.

Joey says, “Thanks, man.”

Monte hands them all towels to wipe their faces with.

“You guys sounded killer!” he exclaims.

Even Johnny was satisfied. He says, “This was definitely one of our best shows!”

Monte says, “Ya guys need to talk to some reporters, okay?”

Joey says, “I don’t really feel like doin’ that, ya know? My voice is shot from singin’ all night.” He runs his fingers through his hair.

Monte looks at Johnny and Dee Dee. 

Johnny rolls his eyes and says, “Okay, okay. Joey DID sound good tonight, so can’t complain there. Dee Dee and I will talk to the reporters.”

Joey nods his thanks and Johnny half smiles.

 

A half hour later, Joey is finally in his hotel room. 

He strips off his clothes and gets in the shower. 

The warm water on his face feels so good. He picks up the bar of soap and lathers his body. As he showers, he thinks of his girlfriend. He can’t wait to talk to her tonight and tell her what an amazing show they had.

When his shower is over, Joey slips on a robe and sits on the edge of the bed to call his girl. He glances at the clock and it reads 11:00pm.

The phone rings 4 times before she answers.

“Hello?” answers a tired voice.

Joey says, “Hi beautiful.”

 

You clutch the phone tightly and start bawling your eyes out. It was so nice to hear Joey’s voice.

Joey is startled. He asks, “Baby? What’s wrong?!”

You manage to stop crying. You wipe your eyes and say, “Nothing, I just miss you.”

Joey says, “I miss you too, but hey, I’ll be seein’ you soon, right?”

You say, “Yeah. I’m just tired of being alone.”

Joey says in a soothing voice, “I know, babydoll. I feel the same way.”

You say, “But at least you’re with people every day.”

Joey smirks and says, “Yeah, people I can’t stand.”

You say, “You like Artie and Monte, though.”

Joey says, “Yeah, they are the ones I hang with the most.”

You say, “The power is out and I don’t have anything to do. I’m so bored, sad and lonely.”

Joey says, “I wish I was there with ya. You should just get some sleep after we hang up. When you wake up in the mornin’, the power’ll be on again, ya know?”

You change the subject and say, “How was your show tonight?”

Joey says, “It was a really good show! A ton of people showed up and we sounded great. Even Johnny was satisfied with the show, which is rare.” Joey decided not to mention the incident with the girls going into the dressing room.

You say, “That’s great, babe. I’m happy for you.”

Joey says, “Tomorrow we head to Venice, and after Venice, back home we go.”

You say, “Are you going to New York first or coming straight to Chicago?”

Joey sighs and says, “I’d better head home first, baby. Gotta check on Paul and on things there, but uh, I’ll fly out to Chicago the following day and take you home with me, where you belong.”

You say, “I can’t wait. I’m so ready to get outta this place. I’ve already shipped so everything I had to ship. I just have to call the furniture donation place and that’ll be it.”

Joey says, “Sounds like you’ve got things under control. That’s my girl.”

All of a sudden, the power comes back on. The TV blares. 

“My power just came back on!,” you exclaim to Joey.

Joey says, “That’s great! Now you won’t be bored, with TV and music around to keep ya company.”

You say, “Yeah, but I’d rather have you.”

Joey says, “Soon!”

You talk to Joey a bit longer and when you hang up, you feel so much better than you did earlier. Joey was your rock. He always made you feel better, even when he wasn’t around. You can’t wait to start your life by his side.

4 Days Later

The Ramones played Venice with great success. They sold out 2 more shows in that city. Their tour of Italy had been a great success. Even though the band had a great time in Italy, they couldn’t wait to get home to New York City.

The band boards the plane at 3:00pm. It won’t land in New York until 11:00pm. 

Johnny says, “Another long flight.” Linda takes the seat next to him.

Dee Dee and Vera sit in aisle behind Linda and Johnny.

Joey sits in a window seat, in an aisle all by himself, a few rows back. He preferred it that way. He didn’t want to be bothered by anyone or by anything.

He crosses his arms, yawns and leans his head back. He closes his eyes and ends up falling asleep. 

An hour later, Joey is awakened by major turbulence. He looks out the window of the airplane and sees nothing but clouds. 

He turns to Arturo, who is sitting across the aisle, and asks, “What time is, it Artie?”

Arturo says, “4:15pm. We still have a long flight ahead of us.” He picks up his magazine and resumes reading.

Joey sighs and gets up to use the restroom. 

He hated plane restrooms, too small and cramped. Since Joey was super tall and he always felt like there wasn’t enough room for him in tight spaces.

Once out of the bathroom, Joey heads back to his seat. 

A few aisles ahead, Linda and Johnny are arguing about something.

“So, you’re sayin’ that he’s been callin’ you and you haven’t told me?” says Johnny.

Linda says, “No! I never said that, Johnny. I said he’s been asking around for my number but he hasn’t called.”

Monte asks, “What are you guys yellin’ about?!”

Johnny says, “Some asshole is tryin’ to call my girlfriend, that’s what!”

Linda says, “He hasn’t called, you dummy!”

Johnny retorts, “That’s why I said he is tryin’! Open your ears, you moron!”

Linda says, “Screw you, Johnny!”

Johnny stands up and glares at her. He says, “Screw ME? Really! Everything you have, is because of ME. You got something else to say? Say it!”

Joey can’t take it anymore. He stands up and says, “Alright, why don’t you guys calm the fuck down!”

Johnny shoots Joey a deadly look and says, “Butt out, Joey!”

Dee Dee chimes in, “Yeah, Joey!” Vera gives him a warning look.

Joey shakes his head, but sits back down. It’s not his battle to fight, so he decides just to stay out of it. Why should he waste his energy on Johnny and Linda?

He was glad he and his girl never fought that way. Yes, they argued on occasion, but never had full blown fights like that.

Marky pipes up, “I’ll be damned if I’m gonna listen to fighting all the way to fuckin’ New York!”

Johnny sits back down and tries to work it out with Linda.

 

Seven hours later, the plane lands at John F. Kennedy airport. 

The band is exhausted from flying, and jetlagged. 

Joey wants to desperately get home, so he grabs his suitcase and says, “I’m outta here.”

Marky says, “Jeez, you in a hurry?”

Joey says, “Yeah!” He hurries away and is thankful that nobody recognizes him. It is 11:00pm, so the airport isn’t as packed as it is in the daytime, anyway. 

Joey makes it outside, hails a cab and heads home.

 

You take a sip of beer and place it on your nightstand. 

You were watching an interesting movie on TV.

Your phone rings. You glance at the clock and it reads 11pm.”

You answer it quickly.

Joey says, “Hey baby, I’m back home.”

You say, “How was your flight?”

Joey says, “Long and boring. I hated it. Plus Johnny and Linda got into it, so all of us had to listen to them bicker.”

You say, “That sucks.”

Joey asks, “So, uh, what are you doing now?”

You say, “Watching a movie and drinkin’ a beer. Nothing exciting.”

Joey says, “Yeah. So uh, I’ll catcha flight to ya tomorrow, okay?”

You ask, “What time?”

Joey says, “Not sure yet…gotta get to the airport tomorrow and see what’s available. I’ll call ya from the payphone and let ya know.”

You say, “I can’t wait to see you.”

Joey says, “Same here. I can’t believe you’re comin’ home with me, ya know?”

You say, “It’s where I belong.”

Joey says, “Forever by my side, is where you belong.”

♥


End file.
